Egyptians claim compensation from Israel for killing of POWs

Lawsuit targets PM, defense minister, IBA chief, and ambassador in Egypt for alleged torture of Abu Raya.

By THE MEDIA LINE NEWS AGENCY
six day war 224.88 (photo credit: Courtesy)
six day war 224.88
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Egyptian families of prisoners of war (POWs), who were killed in the 1967 War, have filed a lawsuit demanding over $100 million from the Israeli government, the Egyptian Daily Star reported. The Compensations Department at a Cairo Civil Court has postponed to November 1 the hearing of the lawsuit, which was initiated by Sayyid Abu Raya's family following the broadcast of an Israeli documentary film last year. The soldier's family is suing Israel's prime minister, the minister of defense, the chairman of the Israel Broadcasting Authority and the Israeli ambassador in Egypt for the alleged torture to which Abu Raya was subjected before his death. "This is a very important case, as Israel has completely violated international law and the Geneva Convention regarding POWs," 'Abd Al-'Alim Muhammad, an expert on Israeli studies at Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, told the Daily Star. The Cairo Civil Court had previously assigned a committee of experts from the Egyptian Radio and Television Union to examine scenes and photos in the documentary, to check whether they included the torture of Egyptian POWs. The documentary, titled Spirit of Shaked, was aired in Israel in March 2007 and has caused much tension between Israel and Egypt. The film depicts an Israeli military unit, whose soldiers now regret their actions during the 1967 War. According to the film, 250 unarmed Egyptian POWs were executed when the war ended. Following the airing of the film last year, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said his country would do everything in its power to have the perpetrators of these "war crimes" punished. http://www.themedialine.org